February 14, 2014 by Darlene

February Fitness Survey

I saw this over on Zaneta’s blog (Runner’s Luck) and thought it would be fun… since I’m tired of talking about the weather (Yes, we are having ANOTHER snowstorm!!).

1. Do you have a Fitness board on Pinterest? Share it.

I have a RUNNING Pinterest board with pins on it but I’m not good about keeping it up-to-date.

http://www.pinterest.com/dsc59/running/

2. What is your go to place for fitness questions? (friend, blog, website)

I usually asking questions on my blog AND also the Sweat Pink, Philly Love and Strong Running Mamas Communities on Facebook!

3. What do you do to workout when the weather outside is too cold, snowy or icy?

The cold doesn’t bother me anymore. I just dress appropriately and go out and run. If it is snowy, I’ll wear my YakTrax. But if it is icy that’s when I stay inside and use the treadmill at work.

4. Latest song(s) added to your playlist?

Best Day of My Life by American Authors

Timber by Pitbull

5. Share a link to your favorite healthy recipe.

Not exactly healthy but it has butternut squash in it and it tastes great. Click here for the recipe or

6. What’s your favorite fitness app?

I have downloaded a lot of fitness apps but lately I have been using Nike Plus for my runs. It’s not as accurate as my Garmin but it’s just an alternative to FitSnap for sharing pics on Fb and Instagram.

Share a picture of a recent workout.

This is my long run on Sunday.

Happy Running! What’s your favorite fitness app? What’s the latest song added to your playlist?

February 11, 2014 by Darlene

Inspiring

Other runners are always inspiring me.

I never thought that I would inspire someone else.

But I have, I think.

I have been playing Mah Jongg for 5 years. I am the only runner in the group. (There are 8-12 of us… many do play tennis.)

We play on Friday nights. Usually on Saturday, I either have a long run or a race. That means I don’t drink and sometimes I even leave early.

My Mah Jongg friends always pretend to be interested in my running and races. But I know they think I am crazy.

Then last week, Natalie, says during Mah Jongg game: “I think I want to start running.”

Natalie is in the middle in both pictures:

I am thrilled and tell her about No Boundaries and how I started running. I offer to help her train and/or run with her.

at the Freihofer’s in 2008 – my NoBo mentor is on the left

Then on Facebook, there was a post from FleetFeet about signing up for the spring No Boundaries program. So I told Natalie about it.

Look at the email I just got:

=============
Darlene,

I signed up for FleetFeet yesterday….very excited.

Natalie

I’m excited too.

She starts the program April 7 and her first 5K is June 21. (I’ll keep you posted on her progress.)

So maybe I inspired her.

It will be fun to have another runner in our mah jongg group.

Happy Running! Have you even inspired someone to start running.

February 10, 2014 by Darlene

Monday Running Update

Last Week:

Monday – tennis
Tuesday – 4 miles, mall walk & dinner out with bff

last outdoor run before the storm

Wednesday – rest, ~~mall walk with bff~~ SNOW DAY
Thursday – 4 miles on the tm

an episode of “Nashville” got me through it

Friday – 3 4 miles, ~~mah jongg~~

around Washington park

Saturday – rest, proctor LSATs
Sunday – 9 10 miles

on the Corning Bike Path

week 5- 22 miles

This Week:

Monday – tennis
Tuesday – 4 miles on the TM
Wednesday – 3 miles
Thursday – 4 miles
Friday – rest mah jongg
Saturday – 10 miles
Sunday – rest

Happy Running! How is your running going? Any races ?

February 9, 2014 by Darlene

What I am Enjoying Now

1. SUNSHINE

Yes, it was cold… I waited until it warmed up to the 20s and the sun was shining.

I headed to the Corning Bike Path because I heard that it was clear.

And it was except for a few icy patches.

Although my long run was crappy (I walked a lot, my on and off bunion pain came back), I extended my planned 8 mile run to 10 miles.

It is supposed to cloud up and snow a little, then get colder. What else is new?

2. The OLYMPICS

I love the Olympics. I am not a TV watcher but for the next 2 weeks, I will be glued to the TV.

Sage Kotsenburg winning Gold

It’s not that I ski or snowboard or ice skate. I don’t do any winter sports.

Meryl Davis and Charlie White helping US win bronze

Figure skating is my favorite. But I enjoy watching everything.

And finally, I’ve traveled to Russia 3 times and I love the culture and its people.

with Anna, my favorite Russian

Happy Running! Are you following the Olympics?

February 8, 2014 by Darlene

Rotate Your Shoes!

I used to think I had a problem:

Brooks Adrenaline – broke my ankle wearing these 2 years ago, wear them to walk & bike now

Mizuno Wave Inspire – sometimes feels to narrow in the toe box – used to like them

Brooks Ghost – comfy but neutral not enough support??

Brooks Adrenalines – they’re ok & I wear now in bad weather

Saucony – ran my half in these, also ok

Brooks Glycerine – kinda heavy -sometimes weigh me down

used to LOVE these but I turned my foot and broke it the last time I wore them… not enough support?

my newest Brooks Adrenaline – I wear them for long runs & races

running in the dark with my new "white" shoes

my newest Mizuno Sayonaras – they’re light & I wear them for shorter runs

(and in the past I have also worn Asics, Nike, Reebok & New Balance too!!)

What shoes do I wear??

Right now…I wear them all (except the Newtons.)

Back to the fact that I used to think I had a problem wearing so many different running shoes.

Not anymore, a new study suggests that runners who rotate among more than one pair of running shoes are significantly less likely to get injured than those who wear the same model of shoe on every run.

Yay me!

The study also showed that participation in other sports activity also reduced the risk of injury.

so I guess I’ll keep up with the tennis!

(If you don’t have access to the full text, you can read both Craig Payne at Running Research Junkie and Scott Douglas at Runner’s World who have covered it in some depth.)

Happy Running! Do you rotate your running shoes?

February 7, 2014 by Darlene

Foto Friday

Don’t these pics make you feel cold? Doesn’t it make you want to stay inside??

Runners, Be tough!

Happy Running! Stay warm!

February 6, 2014 by Darlene

Butternut Squash and Sage Lasagna

Attention: This is a non-running post. It’s an eating post.

I recently went to a Chinese New Year’s Party and tasted the most awesome lasagna.

I love Butternut Squash and I love Lasagna. This was really tasty and light.

I’m not a big cook but I asked for the recipe anyway.

Here it is:

Ingredients:

3 1/2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 pound whole-milk ricotta cheese
1/2 cup heavy cream (The one I tasted substituted half n half)
2 large egg yolks
1/2 pound fresh mozzarella cheese, coarsely grated (2 cups)
Freshly grated nutmeg
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup loosely packed fresh sage leaves, coarsely chopped
1 1/4 cups homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock
Fresh Lasagna Noodles, cut into 4-by-13-inch strips and cooked, or store-bought dried noodles, cooked
4 ounces finely grated Parmesan cheese (1 1/4 cups)

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Toss squash, oil, and 1 teaspoon salt on a baking sheet. Season with pepper. Bake until light gold and tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool.
Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees. Combine ricotta, cream, yolks, mozzarella, and a pinch of nutmeg in a medium bowl. Season with salt.
Melt butter in a small saute pan over medium-high heat. As soon as it starts to sizzle, add sage, and cook until light gold and slightly crisp at edges, 3 to 4 minutes.
Place squash in a medium bowl, and mash 1/2 of it with the back of a wooden spoon, leaving the other 1/2 in whole pieces. Gently stir in sage-butter mixture and stock. Season with salt and pepper. (The one I tasted had all the squash pureed.)
Spread 3/4 cup of ricotta mixture in a 9-cup baking dish. Top with a layer of noodles. Spread 1/2 of the butternut squash mixture over noodles. Top with a layer of noodles. Spread 1 cup of ricotta mixture over noodles. Repeat layering once more (noodles, squash, noodles, ricotta). Sprinkle Parmesan over ricotta mixture.
Place baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet, and bake until cheese is golden and bubbling, 30 to 35 minutes. Let stand for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

Source: Martha Stewart Living, October 2008

Happy Running! Have a favorite (easy) recipe to share?

February 5, 2014 by Darlene

Snow Day and Winter Running Mojo

It is definitely not as rewarding as when I was teaching but it still is awesome.

Though I was meeting my bff for dinner last night, I had to squeeze in a run before today’s big storm (who knows when I’ll be able to run outside again?)

I tried out the Nike+ app..not bad for fun but during a race or long run, I like the Garmin on my wrist.

Today I had the whole day free (and my hubby had to work). I got so much done:

did a plank (woo hoo!)
did my taxes (not happy about how much we have to pay 😦 )
worked on my knitted sock
read a bit
watched the last episode of Downton Abbey
made a casserole for dinner (I don’t cook much)
went to the movies (This month’s RW magazine made me want to see this Bruce Dern movie. Did you know he was a serious runner?)

it was good!

Quite a productive day. The snow has stopped…we have at least 12″ and tomorrow I will be back at work. I’ll probably opt for the treadmill and venture out on the road on Friday.

This weekend I have a long run planned…will the bike path be plowed?

so will it feel like 18 miles instead of 9?

So how to you stay motivated to run in the winter?

Buy proper winter running clothes – tights, hat, gloves, jacket. It is not fun running when you are too cold. Also, dress for warmer than it is. It is also unpleasant to run when you are overdressed. Wear layers so you can shed one if you are warm. New clothes that are fun and bright are motivating, as well.

my tights, jacket, hat & gloves were bought at Target

Run somewhere scenic – a park, a bike path. Vary your routes. Running on the same road gets boring.

love this bike path along the Hudson R

Grab a running buddy or join a running group. Chatting makes the miles go faster. Having to meet someone gets you out the door.

some new running partners that help get me out there

Put some new music on your phone or iPod. Playlists gets stale. It’s nice to have some new tunes to motivate you on those cold days.

music

Join a challenge such Run with Jess’ Winter Miles Challenge. They are free. You can also win prizes.

Screen shot 2013-12-20 at 8.24.21 AM

Sign up for a spring race. I signed up for a half marathon on March 30. Knowing that this race is coming up pushes me through these cold months to stay in running condition.

092713-loverun1

Have a plan B. I always bring outdoor clothes to run after work but I also have clothes there to run indoors on the treadmill. So I have no excuse. I can do either. So if the roads are too slippery, I run on the treadmill.

Use the treadmill for short runs only. Go outside no matter how cold to do your longer runs. More than 4 miles on the treadmill makes me go insane. The hardest part about running outside in the winter is the first step out the door.

Buy Yaktrax or something similar if you live somewhere where it snows a lot and often. They really work. You can run on snowy roads and you won’t slip.

Rewards work too. How about a hot Caramel Flan Latte at Starbucks and a cake pop after a cold run.

Yes, I ate both cake pops

Happy Running! Did you have a snow day? How you stay motivated to run in the winter?

February 3, 2014 by Darlene

Monday Running Update

Last Week:

Monday – rest
Tuesday – 3 miles on the TM at work, tennis
Wednesday – ~~rest,~~ 3 miles on the TM at work, dinner out with tennis buddies

this week: Revenge & Downton Abbey on the iPad

Thursday – 4 miles

finally got outdoors

Friday – rest, mah jongg
Saturday – Polar Cap 4 mile race, 4 miles in town, Winter Carnival in Lake George, Chinese New Year’s party

Sunday – HMRRC Winter Series #5 ~~4 mile~~ 7 K race

week 4- 22 miles

This Week:

Monday – tennis
Tuesday – 4 miles
Wednesday – rest, mall walk with BFF
Thursday – 4 miles
Friday – 3 miles, mah jongg
Saturday – rest, proctor LSATs
Sunday – 9 miles

Happy Running! How is your running going? Any races ?

February 2, 2014 by Darlene

HMRRC Winter Series #5 7K Race Report

during last week’s HMRRC ‘s COLD race (photo by Bill Meehan)

This week’s free HMRRC Winter Race Series offered 4 mile, 10 mile and 20 mile options.

Since I ran 8 miles yesterday, I decided to run the 4 miler. (I was tempted to choose 10 miles since I ran 9.3 last Sunday but I decided to be on the cautious side.)

To me these are just training runs with lots of people and free food.

When I woke this morning, my ankle ached, my foot was sore and my knee felt weird. Most normal people would stay home and rest.

Nope. Not me. It was most 40 degrees! We may never have temps this warm until April.

So I wore compression socks and a band under my knee and off I went.

I left early enough to get a parking space in the nearest lot. And I did.

There were a lot more people this week at the races compared to last week. Weather-related, I am sure.

I immediately bumped into Brigid, a fellow SRM. I also saw Sue, who reminded me that I beat her yesterday.

Brigid & I chatted until it was time to head to the start.

The 4 milers and the 20 milers started together (though in between they ran a different course). The 10 milers had a different starting line.

I knew that I should take it easy on this race. I didn’t even attempt to keep up with Brigid on her speedy pace.

It was interesting when all of a sudden while I was slowly running my race, the 10 milers sped by me. Then during the race, there were times that the 20 milers were speeding by me.

(photo by Bill Meehan)

As I was running, I was reminded about how much I hate this course. Besides being all concrete and parking lots, it seems that you are constantly going uphill but never enjoy a downhill.

I walked quite a few times during the course…more times as the race went on…even stopped for water. Nothing really hurt, I was just worried about overdoing.

Approaching the campus, when they said 4 milers go left and 10 milers go straight, I was happy that I had chose the shorter race.